Exhibitions

The Liepāja Museum collection contains the works by guilds of Liepāja goldsmiths and silversmiths from the mid-17th century to the mid-20th century, forming an extensive collection of precious metal items with more than 400 pieces – craftsmen’s representation tableware, household items, and jewelry.

Between 1936 and 1940, most of the collection was acquired from the Latvian Chamber of Crafts, the Liepāja City Butchers’ Journeymen Relief and Burial Fund Board, and the Liepāja Society for the Study of Antiquities.

Compared to other cities in Latvia, Liepāja is a young city that was granted the rights of a city on 18 March 1625. The first goldsmiths and silversmiths’ workshops existed in Liepāja in the 1630s, and initially, the artisans worked independently and were not connected to each other by duties.

The Statutes of the Guild of Goldsmiths and Silversmiths were approved in 1699 and regulated the organization and life of goldsmiths. In 1825, the Statutes were slightly supplemented by the requirements of the time.

The organization of goldsmiths’ work changed dramatically in the late 1870s when the Russian Empire underwent reforms that led to the modernization of society. In 1877, the 1870 Russian City Statute was applied to the Baltic Province, which led to a change in the order of city administration: the town council, burgomasters, merchants’ and craftsmen’s guilds lost their status. An elected town council replaced the old system.

Guilds continued to exist but no longer played an important role in the city’s administration. At the end of the 19th century, a Society of Craftsmen was founded, which included goldsmiths and silversmiths. Initially of German origin, only gradually, as the political situation changed, did Latvian and other nationalities join them.

Craft workshops developed in line with demand during the First Latvian Free State. On 30 December 1935, the law on the establishing of the Latvian Chamber of Crafts simultaneously included the dissolution of all craft societies. The main task of the Chamber was to unite craftsmen in common work and to promote their material well-being. Goldsmiths and silversmiths worked in Liepāja until 1940 when the Soviet-Russian occupation authorities ordered the precious metal to be deposited with the Bank of Latvia. Goldsmiths and silversmiths were thus prevented from continuing their work for lack of material.

The exhibition “Liepāja Silver” is complemented by the works of contemporary Liepāja jewelers, underlining that the skills and craftsmanship of goldsmiths and silversmiths developed 300 years ago have not been lost even today.

Entrance fee: adults EUR 3,50, schoolchildren, students and senior citizens EUR 2,50.